• Ubisoft officially confirms **two Far Cry titles** are in active development.
  • One is *Project Blackbird*, reportedly the next mainline Far Cry entry, featuring a non-linear, 72-in-game-hour story.
  • The second is *Project Maverick*, a standalone, extraction-based multiplayer shooter set in the Alaskan wilderness, with permadeath mechanics.
  • Multiple Assassin's Creed games are in development, but **two AC titles, including *Assassin's Creed Singularity* (a Web3 TCG), have been cancelled.**
  • A Far Cry anthology TV series is underway, starring and produced by Rob McElhenney.
  • Ubisoft recently laid off 40 developers from the *Splinter Cell remake* team, though development continues.

Alright, gamers, let's cut to the chase. We've got official word straight from the top at Ubisoft, and it's a mixed bag of confirmed projects, intriguing concepts, and some much-needed cancellations. Our primary takeaway? Far Cry fans, buckle up – you're getting a double dose.

Far Cry: Two Fronts Confirmed

For weeks, whispers about multiple Far Cry projects have floated around the gaming sphere, but now we've got the official confirmation. Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft's co-founder and CEO, didn't mince words in a recent interview with Variety, stating definitively: "On Far Cry, anticipation is high, and we currently have two very promising projects in development." That's the kind of direct confirmation we love to see.

Project Blackbird: The Next Mainline Entry

The first of these two projects, reportedly codenamed *Project Blackbird*, is set to be the next mainline Far Cry experience. Previous intel suggested this title would shake things up, and the details are certainly... bold. We're hearing it features a non-linear story centered around a protagonist's family kidnapping, playable over a strict 72 in-game hours – which equates to a very real 24 hours of actual play time. That 72-hour clock, demanding completion within a single day of real-world gaming, is an ambitious design choice. It could be a game-changer for player agency and replayability, or a source of major frustration depending on execution. Our dev radar is definitely pinging on this one.

Project Maverick: Extraction in the Alaskan Wilds

The second Far Cry title, known as *Project Maverick*, sounds like a complete departure for the franchise. This isn't your typical open-world campaign; it's a standalone multiplayer game, specifically an extraction-based shooter. Sources claim we'll be fighting for survival in the brutal Alaskan wilderness, complete with mechanics like permadeath, a backpack inventory system, and contracts to fulfill. Think lootable chests and extraction zones. If done right, a permadeath extraction shooter set in a Far Cry sandbox could be a compelling, high-stakes experience. We're eager to see how Ubisoft tackles a genre often dominated by other titans.

Assassin's Creed: A Growing Pipeline, and Some Welcome Cuts

Beyond Far Cry, Guillemot also touched on the Assassin's Creed brand. "Under the Assassin's Creed brand, several titles are in development, spanning both single-player and multiplayer experiences, with the ambition to further grow a community that exceeded 30 million players last year," he affirmed. We already know about anticipated titles like *Project Hexe* and the long-rumored *Black Flag remake*, which Ubisoft is still keeping mum about.

Singularity and Other Cancellations

However, not all news from the AC front is about new beginnings. As part of Ubisoft's recent restructuring efforts, two Assassin's Creed titles have been cancelled. The one that caught our eye, *Assassin's Creed Singularity*, was reportedly a virtual trading card game with full Web3 and blockchain integration, planned for PC and mobile. Frankly, our take is that this is one game we won't mourn. While we have our thoughts on some of Ubisoft's recent moves, pivoting away from a blockchain-laden TCG within a core franchise feels like a smart move for player sentiment and focus.

Ubisoft's Wider Strategy and Studio Shifts

These game announcements come amidst Ubisoft's broader "restructuring," which aims to split efforts across five "creative houses," including the recently launched Vantage Studios with Tencent. This model, Guillemot suggests, is intended to "speed up" development on major franchises. Time will tell if this leads to faster, higher-quality releases or simply more compartmentalization.

In other news, the Far Cry universe is expanding beyond games with an anthology series in the works. Rob McElhenney, of *Always Sunny in Philadelphia* and *Mythic Quest* fame, is set to star in and produce the series alongside *Alien Earth* creator Noah Hawley. Who McElhenney will play remains a mystery, but we're already picturing the possibilities.

Finally, there's been some unsettling news regarding the *Splinter Cell remake*. Ubisoft confirmed layoffs impacting 40 developers on that project. While the game itself reportedly remains in production, cuts like these are never good for morale or momentum. We'll be keeping a close eye on the Splinter Cell team's progress.